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The Valley Wedding • March 2010 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-99012

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • March 2010 • The Valley Wedding �

Dressing for the day: Wedding gowns and their importanceSpecial to The Valley Wedding

A wedding is a solemn occasion. It is also a special event by which two willing hearts and minds unite by an eternal bond of everlasting love. Hence, the apparel of the bride and the groom should be thoughtfully chosen to reflect the significance of the grand occasion. The wedding dress of the bride comes in bright, auspicious colors styled uniquely in conformance with the ceremonial importance as determined by the culture and religion, which sanctifies the marriage.

Features of wedding dressWedding dresses come in various colors, forms and styles corresponding to the many cultures

and fashions from which they hail. Wedding dresses are characterized by their exquisite grace and charm. Though the term wedding dress usually refers to the bridal gown worn by West-ern/European brides, all the various kinds of dresses worn by brides worldwide come within the ambit of wedding dress.

Wedding dresses vary with regions, customs, cultures and religions. The Asian, the Indian, the Middle East, the African, the Mediterranean and the American - all have their respective typical wedding dress codes. Whatever may be the type of wedding dress of the bride – a bridal gown, a sari, a kimono, a Salwar Kamiz with wedding veil, it is created to spell elegance and hold the audience and especially the bridegroom spellbound. Wedding dresses are secured from the highly skilled artisans who use the best fabrics and the most intricate embellishments – elaborate patterns and designs to create the choicest dresses of the respective culture. The exquisite wedding dresses thus made serve as a reflection of the culture concerned too.

Considerations in selecting appropriate wedding dressIn weddings, the appearance of the bride and the groom is of prime importance. The wedding

dress or the bridal attire requires special mention in this regard since the bride is the cynosure of all eyes at the wedding and therefore her attire commands utmost attention. The wedding dress should be selected with due care with respect to the following considerations:

1. Checking bridal magazines to get a better idea of what fashions are in vogue.2. Seeking opinions from select friends on the dress selection and trying to view choices made

from their perspective. Also, take those friends with you when you try dresses on.3. Thinking over the kind of party to be hosted and the prevailing mood – formal or casual. Also, don’t forget to use your creativity and maybe create your own custom wedding dress,

spark up the wedding, and get all the attention you deserve!


By VANESSA M. RELLES-ROSESpecial to The Valley Wedding

If you are newly engaged, congratulations! You have a lot of decisions to make: where, when, who you will invite, how formal, and so on. If you are like most brides-to-be in this economy, your budget is front and cen-ter in your decision making. There will be some things you will want to splurge on, and you should. In turn, you can save in other areas that are less important to you. Every bride will have her priorities, wheth-er it’s the dress, the champagne, a certain venue or a fabulous cake. The following are a few suggestions on where to splurge, and where to save.

Splurge on your photographer. Your wedding day may feel like a blur to you. You may not even taste your food. But you will always have your photos to look back on and remind you of your special day. I have talked to a lot of brides, and without fail they all say you get what you pay for when it comes to photography. No one regrets spending more on a quality photographer. This doesn’t mean choose the most expen-sive. It means do your research, and expect to pay a little more. Look at portfolios. Are the photos of good quality and are they in a style that you like? If you are interested in photojournalism or special photo treat-ments, make sure your photographer offers those, and they have examples to show you. What do they offer? If beautiful, leather-bound albums are important to you, make sure they are included. Always get recom-

mendations from friends and family when possible.

Save on your videographer. Your pho-tos will hang throughout your home, but you will rarely watch your wedding video. Save $1,000 on a videographer and have a friend or family member film your wedding. Or a friend of a friend who will do it in exchange for a free meal and drinks.

Splurge on your wedding bouquet. This doesn’t mean spend a fortune on the most expensive flowers, but do go with a pro-fessional florist with a good reputation. Flowers have a huge range in price, and a good florist will create something beauti-ful within your budget. For example, roses are expensive, and in February they are prohibitively expensive. Locally available, seasonal flowers will be much more rea-sonably priced. A good florist will make suggestions to stretch your dollar. Every-one will look at your bouquet as you walk down the aisle, and it will appear in most of your photos as well. Have your florist make your bride’s maids’ bouquets as well, but choose a smaller, simpler arrange-ment.

Save on table arrangements. A florist can work within your budget to create beautiful, simple table arrangements. Or you can make your own if you have access to your reception venue ahead of time. Look for ideas in wed-ding magazines or on Web sites like www.theknot.com. Vases can be rented, or pur-chased from stores like Michael’s at reason-able prices. Tea lights are very inexpensive,

and several on each table add elegance to the centerpiece.

Splurge on your wedding dress. Most bridal boutiques have dresses for every budget. Whatever your budget, try on a lot of dresses. If you find “the one” on your first or second try, that’s wonderful, but still try on more. And try on different styles that you never thought you’d like. Everyone will be looking at you on your wedding day, and you will be photographed more than at any other time in your life. You should feel comfortable and beautiful. Take your time with this decision. Don’t feel rushed. Enjoy the spotlight. Enjoy having someone dress you. Feel like a prin-cess. You will have a lot of stresses over the course of planning your wedding; don’t let this be one of them.

Save on your accessories – your jewelry, your shoes, your hair accessories and your handbag. Don’t buy them at a bridal boutique. Borrow jewelry if possible, from your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister or friend. If you can’t borrow it, go to the an-tique fair held every second Sunday under the freeway on 21st Street between X and W streets. They have beautiful vintage jew-elry for reasonable prices that are usually negotiable. Go to Claire’s in the mall for inexpensive costume jewelry and a little bag to keep your lipstick and face powder. Buy your shoes on sale at Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack, or any of the smaller shoe stores in the mall.

S pl u r ge o n c a ke t a s t i ng ! If you d on’t k now ab out th i s , you a re i n

for a t re at . Ba ke r ie s f rom low e nd to h i gh e nd w i l l s che du le app oi nt -me nt s for you to t a s te the i r ca ke s . Ord e r a n e spre ss o d r i n k , s i t d ow n a nd e nj oy.

Save at a high-end bakery by ordering a small tiered cake to be displayed at your reception and photographed. Or-der a sheet cake in the same flavor to be cut behind the scenes and served to your guests in addition to the “show” cake. If a high-end bakery cake is not important to you, order a beautiful grocery store cake and save a ton.

Splurge on the thing or things that are most important to you. Depend-ing on your budget, that may be one thing, or several things on a sliding scale. Save wherever possible. It may take more research on your part, but it will be well worth it. Always get rec-ommendations from people you trust, whenever possible. Great wedding professionals will work within your budget, so keep that in mind when se-lecting who you will work with. If they push you to spend more than you want to, look elsewhere (with the possible exception of your photographer – see above). Most importantly, never forget the purpose of all this hard work – a celebration to mark the beginning of your new life with your fiancé.

Vanessa M. Relles-Rose is a writer living in Sacramento. She held her wedding in Sacra-mento in 2003.

Where to splurge/where to save on wedding costs

Splurge on your bouquet, but have your florist make your bride’s maids’ bouquets as well, but choose a smaller, simpler, arrangement.

Splurge on the thing or things that are most important to you: if you want great invitations, spend to buy them.

Never forget the purpose of all this hard work – a celebration to mark the beginning of your new life.


By BRANDI SIDLEYSacramento-area photographerSpecial to The Valley Wedding

You spent seven Saturdays at the boutique choos-

ing the perfect dress, you had three rounds of fittings getting the perfect fit on the perfect dress and you were at the salon for four hours of beauty treatments ensuring the perfect look. It is your wedding day and you are beautiful. You feel beautiful; you look beau-tiful. Now, the photographer is on the way and you have butterflies in your stomach – it’s not the wed-ding – it’s the cameras that make you nervous.

As a professional wedding photographer I’ve seen it many times, brides are often more nervous about having their picture taken than they are about get-ting married. There is no need to worry; there are many techniques you can use to help you look your best in your wedding photos (or any other photos for that matter). Whether you are short or tall, thin or not, posture and posing is crucial to getting the mag-nificent photos of you that you deserve.

Position yourself. The right body position can shave off 10 pounds or more, the wrong body po-sition – let’s not even think about that. Try this, stand in front of a mirror with your hips and shoul-ders square and your arms against your body. No-tice the width of your body. Now, put your weight on your right foot and move your left foot in front of your right foot. Your hips are instantly thinner. Turn your left shoulder towards the mirror and tilt

it down slightly. Your upper body is instantly thin-ner. Finally, bring your arms away from your body a bit and tilt forward at your hip flexors (be careful not to bend over – lean).

Look up. Not with your chin, though, with your eyes. To avoid the double chin, people often lift their chin and crane their neck – not a good look. Instead, bring your chin out and down, just a bit. Ideally, you should be looking slightly up at the camera.

Get back. Standing behind your man (or your mom, or a gate, or a door) helps you in a couple of ways. First, the further you are from the lens, the smaller you look. Second, you can hide some of your body behind him (or her, or it), effectively making you look smaller. So snuggle under his arm, put your weight on your back foot, bring your other foot forward, separate your arm from your body, lean forward, chin out and down, look up a bit – great, click…one more, click. Got it!

Hire a professional. Are you taking notes, creating a pneumonic or making a crib sheet so you don’t forget all of these tips on your wedding day? Instead, hire a professional wedding photographer. While a beauti-ful pose is a great start, flattering lighting and the appropriate focal length, aperture and exposure are also key elements in making gorgeous photographs. When you hire a well-trained professional wedding photographer you are in good hands so that you can accomplish the final technique…relax and have fun.

Taking the best photos possible

Techniques for posing for wedding photographs

Photo courtesy Brandi Sidley Studios PhotographyTo avoid the double chin, people often lift their chin and crane their neck – not a good look. Instead, bring your chin out and down, just a bit.


By BRANDI SIDLEYSacramento-area photographerSpecial to The Valley Wedding

Most brides spend more than a year plan-ning their wedding, carefully choosing every detail. Then, the big day comes and goes and it all seems like a blur. Food is eaten, flowers wilt and memories start to fade. Luckily, pho-tographs last forever. But what if your photog-rapher doesn’t get a shot of the cake? What if there are no pictures of your favorite aunt from Spain and you’re not sure when you’re going to see her again? That is why creating a shot list with your photographer is so important.

As a professional wedding photographer, I meet with all of my clients well before their wedding day to find out what is most important to them and to learn about their friends and family before I create the shot list for the day. Now that wedding photographers do not have to limit their shots to the rolls of film in their bag, they can be more creative and shoot many, many more images. But are they the images that you want? The following are shots that you don’t want your photographer to miss.

Family. Weddings are often a rare opportu-nity to capture an entire family together, es-pecially if family has traveled from far away. While many guests may prefer to just make their way to the reception, when the photo-graphs are delivered, everyone will be glad they took the time to pose for the classic fam-ily group photograph. There are a couple of ways that you can make the family group pho-tograph process go smoothly and quickly.

Carefully consider the list. Will you really want an individual photograph with each aunt and uncle or will one photograph with all of your aunts and uncles be just as good? Keep in mind that each group portrait takes two to five minutes to set up and photograph.

Give your family members advance notice. Before the wedding, let your family know that you would like to include them in the formal photographs and tell them exactly were to be and when to be there.

Have an assistant. Ask a good friend or fam-ily member that knows most of your guests be in charge of rounding up family members. If everyone is ready to go, each image will take approximately two minutes to set up and photograph. If a search party needs to be sent out to find Uncle Fred at the bar, each photo-graph takes much longer.

Special moments. Almost every moment is special on your wedding day and you want to make sure that your photographers capture them all.

Of course they will capture the kiss, the cake cutting and the first dance. But, will they cap-ture the way your groom looks at you when he sees you for the first time? Will they cap-ture your dad’s tears as you hug your mom right before the ceremony? Will they capture the ring bearer and flower girl whispering to each other in the corner? Ask them.

When you interview photographers, find out what strategies they use to make sure that they capture every special moment. At a minimum, make sure that there are at least two photogra-phers that will be working most of the day. It is also important to get to know your photogra-phers and that your photographers get to know you and your family. Ask if they will attend the rehearsal. The rehearsal is a great opportunity for your photographers to learn exactly what will happen when and make a plan.

Details. You have spent hours upon hours making countless decisions about floral ar-rangements, favors, attendants’ gifts, din-ner menus, the list goes on, and on, and on. Everyone will advise you that the day goes by in a blur and though you will hope that it doesn’t, it will. And so, the details; make sure your photographer captures the details.

When interviewing photographers ask about what kind of detail shots they will cap-ture. Ask to see examples. Is there a good va-riety? Are the detail shots creative but not too trendy? Do you like the style of the images?

After you have hired a photographer, make sure to let them know about any special de-tails you want captured. Most photographers will capture the traditional details such as the cake, the flowers and the place settings. How-ever, most brides include many other special details in their day. Are you wearing your grandmother’s wedding ring on your right hand? Let your photographer know. Are you carrying your favorite uncle’s handkerchief in with your bouquet? Don’t forget to tell your photographer.

Bride and Groom. This seems obvious. Of course your photographer will capture you and your groom. However, portraits of the bride and groom together are traditionally captured after the ceremony and after the formal family portraits. More often than not, at this point in the day, most brides and grooms are ready to make their way to the reception and don’t want to spend a lot of time with the photographer.

There are a few solutions to this problem. Some couples are now choosing to see each other before the wedding to allow for extra time for photography. If you decide to see each other before the ceremony, it can be a very special time for just the two of you. In fact, you may not get another moment for just the two of you until the day is over.

In Australia, the wedding ceremony and re-ception are held hours apart to allow more time for photography. If this seems like a possibility for your wedding, you could choose to plan a cocktail reception for your guests between the ceremony and reception or offer a list of sug-gested sights to see during that time.

Another new trend in wedding photography is the after shoot, which gives you and your groom the opportunity to be photographed at your leisure. You can choose to wear your wed-ding attire or go more casual. You can even have your after shoot at a different location than your wedding such as a beach or vineyard.

“Now that wedding

photographers do not

have to limit their shots

to the rolls of film in their

bag, they can be more

creative and shoot many,

many more images…”

Shots you’ll want

Don’t miss these classic wedding photographs

Photo courtesy Brandi Sidley Studios PhotographyAs a professional wedding photographer, I meet with all of my clients well before their wedding day to find out what is most important to them.

The Valley Wedding • March 2010 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901�

Special to The Valley Wedding It could be one of the most memorable

moments in your life. You pull an en-gagement ring out of your pocket and ask the love of your life to be your wife. You desperately want her to say yes and fall in love with her ring too, right? But how do you make sure that happens? Guys who successfully navigated this step in their relationship share some tips.

Use a fake ringMike Vietti wanted his fiancée’s en-

gagement ring to be a complete surprise but had no idea what she would like. So he decided to use a fake one for his pro-posal and take her shopping later.

“I thought it was brilliant,” said Emily Vietti. “ I love surprises, but I couldn’t imagine wearing something for the rest of my life I didn’t love. It was the perfect solution.”

Consider her taste and styleMake sure the ring fits her existing

jewelry collection, said Kevin Saghy. “ I realized all of my fiancée’s jew-elry is very clean and simple, like one large pearl on a string or a clean trail of diamonds on a necklace, so I chose a three-stone engagement ring that looks simple but impressive. It has gone over really well.”

Get a little help from her friends“My wife found a drawing of the kind of

ring she would like and gave it to a friend to hold – under the condition that the friend would not tell her when she gave it to me,” said Andrew Brown. “She was to-tally surprised the day the exact ring she wanted was given to her.”

Shop together Randy Holmes was overwhelmed by the

number of options he faced when he started to shop for his fiancée’s ring, so he asked her to join him. “It was great to have Lauren in-volved,” he said. “It was romantic and took a lot of pressure off.”

Do your homeworkErik Mason did a “ton of research” on dia-

monds before he even set foot in a jewelry store. “I think most guys believe as long as they’re familiar with the four Cs, they’re all set,” he said. “I was surprised to find that was only half the story you should be thinking about.”

Mason spent almost five months learn-ing about the four Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat weight – and how that translat-ed to his budget and girlfriend’s taste. He used online resources, visited retailers and flipped through fashion magazines to get a sense of what she liked.

“I got a great learning experience and an-other connection to our marriage through a

spectacular piece of symbolism I truly un-derstand inside and out,” he said.

The Gemological Institute of America, the world’s foremost authority on gems and jewelry and the creator of the four

Cs, provides independent assessment of diamond quality in its grading reports. It is also a helpful resource to learn more about diamonds. Visit www.gia.edu or call (800) 421-7250.

Something new

Picking the perfect engagement/wedding rings

When buying diamond rings, it is all about the four Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat weight.

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • March 2010 • The Valley Wedding 9

Understanding the role of wedding speechesSpecial to The Valley Wedding

All wedding receptions have three main speech scenes. First of all, there is the speech given by the father of the bride. After the father of the bride, it is the turn of the bridegroom (and the bride, if desired) to give a speech of thanks. Lastly, it is the turn of the best man (and/or the maid of honor).

Father of the bride’s speechThe best man usually calls upon the father of the bride in order to propose a toast to the bride

and the groom. However, it is normal for the relatives and close friends of the recently married couple to say a few words on behalf of the bride. After this, the father of the bride will show his appreciation of the bride and bridegroom in his own words. All this is followed by a toast offered to the couple.

Bridegroom’s speechThe typical bridegroom’s speech can be used as an opportunity to thank their parents for all

the years of love and care while they were growing up and their continued support later on in life. You should also thank them for all their blessings that you have received concluding with their blessing your wedding.

Sometimes there can be members of the family or close friends who are not able to attend due to various reasons. Remember these people and wish them a fast recovery. Also, remember those who are unable to attend due to less severe reasons. It is not necessary to exclude the com-mon attendees. Thank everyone for their help on this very important day on which the love and support of all those around you is vital.

Also, don’t forget to thank your parents-in-law, as they are the ones who gave birth and raised your wonderful wife to be. Otherwise, there won’t be her.

Of course, the bride can share this time with the groom if she so desires. Offering thanks to one’s guests is a sincere gesture that can be conducted by the couple together. Simply provide for an organized speech so as to avoid awkward pauses or too much passing of the microphone.

Best man’s speechThere is a good probability that by the time the father of the bride and the bridegroom are

done with their speeches, the atmosphere will be heavy with all kinds of sentiments. Then the best man arrives to lighten the mood or finish off the speeches with a tender story.

It has almost become an expected outcome that the best man’s speech will be full of humor and stories from the past. It doesn’t matter if a lot of people already know of the things you are speaking. Sharing them through words on this occasion makes a big difference to the overall tone.

After all, with all the customary thanks already been said by the father of the bride, and the groom, ths speech should be an end to be remembered by having doses of humor and reflection of your time with the groom.

However, what is funny to you might be embarrassing to the groom and his family. Try not to use intimate details in your toast. It might just land the groom in hot soup on his wedding day.

The same rules apply to a maid of honor speech. Often, the two go hand-in-hand, with the two speeches following one another.

Final wordsSpeeches often offer the bride and groom fond memories when they look back on their wed-

ding day – the words live on like a message of love locked in a bottle.

Photo courtesy NebiSometimes there can be members of the family or close friends who are not able to attend due to various reasons, and wedding speeches do good to honor those missing.

A wedding bouquet to compliment your dressSpecial to The Valley Wedding

Every bride-to-be dreams of the perfect wedding, they want the perfect gown and the perfect wedding bouquet. It is wedding etiquette for the bride to walk down the aisle with a fabulous wedding bouquet.

Choosing the bouquet takes time, you want it to be perfect. There is not just one type of bouquet – each one is unique. Choosing the right flowers to make your wedding bouquet is critical to your wedding.

Choosing flowers that match the wedding dress is a time honored tradition. Col-ors that are variations of white such as cream and ivory are chosen more than any other. The bride can then choose the colors of the bridesmaids’ dresses to bring the wedding party together.

You can also add bright bold colors such as roses or carnations to your wedding bouquet to make it incredible.

If you have a favorite flower or a flower that has sentimental value, you can add these to your bouquet as accents. There are literally thousands of types of flowers that you can use for your wedding bouquet.

A wedding symbolizes the love the two people pledge to each other for the rest of their lives. Everything about the wedding has a symbol – even the wedding bouquet.

Different types of flowers have a specific meaning. You can sort of mix and match the flowers in your bouquet to make it perfect. A bouquet of gardenias is an el-egant choice for a wedding bouquet; surround them with carnations and roses, and you will have a wedding bouquet that is incredible. The meaning of all these flowers is love, fidelity and joy.

Lilies are available in an assortment of bright and vibrant colors; their mean-ing is truth and honor. When lilies are added to the wedding bouquet, it can be spectacular.

When it comes to weddings, there is a lot of planning involved. Some couples choose to use a wedding planner because they know what all of the traditions are. They know that members of the wedding party will have flowers and the brides-maids will also have bouquets. The bridesmaid bouquets are not as spectacular as the brides, but they will be just as beautiful. The groom usually has a flower in his lapel that matches the bride’s wedding bouquet.

Choosing a florist can be time consuming if you do not us a wedding planner, ask your friends and family if they know a reputable florist it is important to keep your budget in mind, as wedding flowers make up a large part of your wedding budget. Trust a local professional, like Relles Florist. Call them at (916)441-1478 or (916) 920-4911 to learn about your options.

There are a few things you need to take into consideration when before you hire a florist.

Making wedding bouquets is a specialty. Ask the florist if they have experience. You can also ask the florist to see work that they have previously done. Most will take photos of their best work and also keep letters of praise from former clients.

Ask where the bouquets are made, and if there are any additional charges. Ask to see pictures of current styles of wedding bouquets; you will be amazed at the choices.

There are many decisions to make when you are planning the perfect wedding. When you are meeting with the florist, it is important that you bring a picture of the gown and also if you have a swatch of the material. From there, the florist will create the perfect bouquet.


By AARON HUSpecial to The Valley Wedding

Wedding favors are very important while

planning your marriage. They are a part of the bridal tradition, and make the matrimo-ny memorable for the guests. There are many types of wedding favors, and you can select any kind of favor that you fancy. Generally it is a good idea giving a favor that the guests can use. Here are some types of favors that you can consider for your marriage:

Camera favorsYou can use disposable cameras as wed-

ding favors. There was a time when dispos-able cameras were the talk of the town, and used at every marriage or social event. These single-use cameras are low cost, and available in both digital and film modes. Some cameras also come with flash.

Candy favorsThese are very famous favors, and you can

get different types of candies to be used as favors. You can add a touch of uniqueness by wrapping the candy in personalized wrapping paper. You can turn these com-mon favors into unique wedding favors, by beautifully decorating and personalizing them. A very famous candy is the 1-inch square shaped chocolate candy. You can also order bubble gum candy favors, with a gumball as the base, and bride and groom made from icing on the ball. You can wrap

this bubble gum candy in personalized wrappers to make really cute and adorably unique wedding favors.

Hand made favorsYou can also go the “Do it yourself ” way

by making your own favors. Though, this is a good idea only if you are expecting a small number of guests at your marriage. For a large number of guests, it is always better to order readymade wedding fa-vors. If you are making your own favors, go for the favors that match your nuptial theme. While making hand made favors, make sure you add some personal touch to them, like adding the names of bride and groom, and the marriage date.

Other favorsYou can select any favor idea from these

ideas for unique wedding favors. A unique idea for favors is giving a pack of flower seeds to each guest. This symbolizes the beginning of a new life for the wedded couple. These seeds can be planted by the guests in their yards, or flowerpots, and thus can remember your wedding for a very long time. You can pick from many types of flower seeds. It is best to select the seeds of the flowers that match the color of your marriage, to give it a more personalized touch.

There are some other favors that are not so unique but highly popular at weddings. Candles are used at many marriages. There are many types of candles that you can use

as wedding favors. Some popular candle types are: decorative candles, floating candles, scented candles, etc. These make excellent gift ideas.

You can also give more traditional fa-vors like key rings and pens at weddings. Make sure you inscribe the marriage

details on them, like the names of bride and groom, and the nuptial date etc.

These favors will surely spice up your mar-riage. You can select any unique wedding favor from the suggestions given above, or you can think outside the box and create your own ideas for wedding favors.

Top four great wedding favors to make your wedding memorable and gifts unforgettable

Generally, it is a good idea giving a favor that the guests can use or something they will enjoy greatly – like candy.

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising publication of Valley Community Newspapers • March 2010 • The Valley Wedding 11

Bridal jewelry: Fulfilling a wedding traditionSpecial to The Valley Wedding

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” This is a saying that many brides take to heart when considering their wedding trousseau. From wedding gowns, accessories and motifs, brides from all walks of life throughout the years have tried their best to stick to this formula. It’s interesting to note that bridal jewelry can fol-low this adage, too.

“Something old” could most often be a piece of bridal jewelry that is a family heirloom. Sometimes the groom would give to his bride a ring or another piece of jewelry that had once been owned by his mother, grandmother, or past brides in his family. Maybe the bride would wear her own mother’s antique jewelry or some other gem that has been handed down to brides in the family from generation to generation. One thing is certain, wearing such bridal jewelry would reinforce a sense of family, tradition and continuity in a wedding ceremony.

“Something new” hardly needs any explanation. Thousands upon thousands of bridal jewelry stores, both the Internet e-commerce sites and bricks-and-mortar stores, offer a dazzling array of accessories to make the bride shine on her wedding day. The would-be bride can choose from among various jewelry pieces one or several items that she would wear at the ceremony and which she could treasure and keep as a memento of that most special day.

At first thought, “something borrowed” doesn’t seem applicable to bridal jewelry. After all, a bride would most probably want to wear her own jewels and not have to borrow and then return them. But for women who want to add to the accessories that they will be wearing on their wedding day without having to spend thousands of dollars more to buy new ones, rent-ing jewelry offers a practical solution. Many establishments rent out antique or estate bridal jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, and only the rental fee plus a refundable deposit need to be paid. And of course, family jewelry (items from a grandmother or aunt, for example) is always an option.

Finally, for that “something blue” in a bridal jewelry ensemble, there are several gemstones that fit the bill. Depending on the shade of blue that she wants, a bride can opt for a necklace, bracelet, or earrings that are accented with sapphires, aquamarines or blue pearls. Hair orna-ments or tiaras with other blue-tinted stones such as agate and topaz are also beautiful acces-sories for the bride.

The bride is the belle of the ball on her wedding day and it is important for her to look her best on that special occasion. Bridal jewelry, chosen tastefully and worn properly, will comple-ment her wedding dress and make her look as radiant and as beautiful as any bride should be.

Photo courtesyA bride can wear her own mother’s antique jewelry or some other gem that has been handed down to brides in the family.

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